Abstract: A continuous ink jet printhead has a nozzle bore formed from a thin membrane that comprises an overhang from a relief portion of the substrate. The thin membrane of thickness t overhangs a relief portion of the substrate with a dimension OH. The nozzle bore has a respective diameter dimension D. The dimensions are characterized in that OH>=½ D; and wherein t<=0.33D.

Abstract: An ink jet printer apparatus and method of printing wherein image data representing a predetermined number of gray levels of pixels to be printed are accommodated in an inkjet printer for recording on a receiver medium. The printer has the capability of producing fewer numbers of gray levels at respective pixel positions than the data requires. The inkjet printer prints an increased number of the gray levels by applying multitone printing to pixels locations on a reference raster and provides supplementary ink drops to respective adjacent pixel locations on a shifted raster.

Abstract: An improved diaphragm (34, 56) for drop on demand ink jet print heads and method for manufacturing the same. The present diaphragm (34, 56) includes a support element (42, 62) defining at least a portion of a chamber (14) for holding ink, the support element (42, 62) defining an opening (40) adjacent to the chamber (14), and the diaphragm (34, 56) being electroformed on a surface (26) of the support element (42, 62) around the opening (40) at least substantially covering the opening (40) and enclosing the chamber (14). The diaphragm (34, 56) preferably has a central region (48) disposed generally centrally over the opening (40) and a bellows (58) surrounds the central region (48).

Abstract: Image reconstruction is provided by sending low frequency image information via a first transmission channel and high frequency edge information via a second channel. This provides the needed high frequency information which exists in the vicinity of edges, but not the high frequency information which exists in other areas of the image. A process for the compression and transmission of original images containing both low frequency information and high frequency includes the steps of compressing the low frequency information, transmitting the compressed low frequency information, multitoning the low frequency information to form a multitoned reconstruction, multitoning the original image to form a multitoned original, calculating a residual signal as the difference between the multitoned original and the multitoned reconstruction, and transmitting the residual signal.

Abstract: An ink jet print head is formed of a silicon substrate that includes integrated circuits formed therein for controlling operation of the print head. The silicon substrate has a series of ink channels formed therein along the longitudinal direction of the nozzle array. An insulating layer or layers overlying the silicon substrate has a series or an array of nozzle openings or bores formed therein along the length of the substrate and each nozzle opening communicates with a respective ink channel. A series of rib structures is formed in the silicon substrate transverse to the longitudinal direction of the nozzle array for providing strength to the final silicon ship comprising the print head.

Abstract: For a printer system (38) having a thermal printhead or an inkjet printhead for printing images on receiver media, such as sheets of paper (14), a pick roller (18) for drawing at least on sheet of paper (14), and a cutter assembly (26) for trimming the printed paper (14a) to size, a roller system (5), to help remove chad (16) and trimmed media in thermal printer (38), which is known to cause paper jams and interfere with printing, is disclosed. The roller system (5) comprises a paper tray (7) configured to hold a supply of paper (14), or other flexible media. The roller system (5) further comprises a roller (12) and a tray cover (10). Roller (12), which is located in contact with the supply of paper (14), is configured to operate in connection with the actions of the pick roller (18). Tray cover (10) is positioned over the paper tray (7) and includes an aperture adapted to receive roller (12).

Abstract: A system and method for the fabrication of a fluid, gas and/or vacuum flow system (10) having a laminate gasket manifold (14) containing a plurality of bi-directional fluid-flow channels (22) therein. Initially, a photoimagable polyimide dry film resist layer (44) is applied to one or more stiffening elements (46) in order to form laminate sub-layers (42). The resist is then patterned to form a plurality of openings therein. Selectively, the laminate sub-layers are etched to form alignment apertures (18) therein. The resist-coated sub-layers (42) are then stacked such that the alignment apertures (18) therein are aligned to each other, respectively, to form bi-directional fluid-flow channels (22). Heat and pressure are then applied to the stack of laminate sub-layers (42) at 70-75 degrees C. in a vacuum laminator for 10 to 30 seconds.

Abstract: An ink jet print head includes an array of nozzles, each nozzle being capable of selectively producing when actuated at least two ink drop sizes including a larger ink drop size and a smaller ink drop size. In response to a pixel density signal of maximum density value at a respective pixel location, a nozzle prints a drop of the larger ink drop size at the respective pixel location on a reference raster and the same or a different nozzle prints a drop of a smaller drop size at a pixel location adjacent to the respective pixel location on a shifted raster to provide for full coverage with improved dry time capability of the printed ink drops.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus and method of operating an inkjet printhead provides an inkjet orifice of the printhead that is located within a predetermined spacing of less than 1000 micrometers, and more preferably in a range of 50-500 micrometers for printing high resolution images. Electrical drive signals are provided to the printhead, the drive signals being adapted to enable the printhead to generate a droplet. In response to the drive signals, a free spherical droplet is formed between the orifice and a receiver member and deposits a droplet upon the receiver member substantially without presence of an attached or detached ligament of printing liquid that would otherwise provide an artifact mark on the receiver member.

Abstract: A continuous ink jet print head is formed of a silicon substrate that includes integrated circuits formed therein for controlling operation of the print head. An insulating layer or layers overlies the silicon substrate and has a series or an array of nozzle openings or bores formed therein along the length of the substrate and each nozzle opening is formed in a recess in the insulating layer or layers by a material depletion process such as etching. The process of etching defines the nozzle openings at locations where heater elements are formed in the insulating layer or layers during a conventional CMOS processing of the integrated circuits. The print head structure thereby provides for minimal post processing of the print head after the completion of the CMOS processing.

Abstract: A continuous ink jet print head is formed using a combination of traditional CMOS technology to form the various controlling electrical circuits on a silicon substrate having insulating layer(s) which provide electrical connections to heater elements associated with a nozzle and a MEMS technology for forming ink delivery cavities or channels and bores. A blocking structure is formed in the silicon substrate between an ink channel formed in the silicon substrate and a nozzle bore formed in the insulating layer(s). The blocking structure causes ink in an ink channel to flow around the blocking structure and thereby develop lateral flow components to the liquid entering the bore so that as the stream of fluid emanates from the bore the lateral flow components are a factor in allowing an increased stream deflection under the condition of asymmetric heating.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus and method of operating an inkjet printhead provides an inkjet orifice of the printhead that is located within a predetermined spacing of less than 1000 micrometers, and more preferably in a range of 50 to less than 500 micrometers for printing high resolution images. Electrical drive signals are provided to the printhead, the drive signals being adapted to enable the printhead to generate a droplet. In response to the drive signals, a free droplet is formed between the orifice and a receiver member and deposits a droplet upon the receiver member substantially without presence of any satellites.

Abstract: Printer and method adapted to reduce variability in ejected ink drop volume. A print head includes a plurality of nozzles integrally attached to the print head, each nozzle being capable of ejecting an ink droplet therefrom. At least one of the nozzles has an undesirable characteristic producing ink droplets of non-nominal volume. A waveform generator is connected to the nozzles for generating a plurality of waveforms to be supplied to the nozzles, so that the nozzles eject the ink droplets in response to the waveforms supplied thereto. Each waveforms has a plurality of pulses controlling ink droplet volume. A controller is provided for controlling the waveforms supplied to the nozzles and for transmitting the waveforms to the nozzles in order to eject the ink droplets so as to compensate for the non-nominal volume by controlling the number of pulses in the waveform. In this manner, all nozzles produce ink droplets of nominal volume regardless of physical or electrical variations between nozzles.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for an ink jet printer includes alignment features in the form of recesses formed on front and back side walls of the cartridge surface near the bottom thereof. An ink cartridge receiver assembly includes a plurality of receptacles for receiving a corresponding plurality of ink cartridges containing ink of different.colors. The receptacles are defined by identical spacer walls and the spacer walls include locating structures which cooperate with the alignment features on the cartridge to properly align the cartridge as it is inserted into the receptacle. The cartridges have identically curved surfaces that interface with complementary curved spacer walls.

Abstract: A manner of permanent alteration of an ink jet print head (10) for correction of misdirection of emitted or ejected ink drops. The ink jet print head (10) has a surface (14) defining at least one orifice or nozzle (16) therethrough for emitting or ejecting ink droplets from an ink source onto a printing or recording medium and at least one element (28,30,34,44,48,50) disposed around the orifice or nozzle (16) and selectably removable for altering a directional path of the ejected or emitted ink droplets, correction of misdirection of emitted or ejected ink droplets from the at least one orifice or nozzle (16) involving asymmetrically removing a portion of the element (28,30,34,44,48,50) disposed around the orifice or nozzle (16).

Abstract: An ink jet print head is formed of a silicon substrate that includes integrated circuits formed therein for controlling operation of the print head. The silicon substrate has a series of ink channels formed therein along the length of the substrate. An insulating layer or layers overlying the silicon substrate has a series of nozzle openings or bores formed therein along the length of the substrate and each nozzle bore communicates with a respective ink channel. A primary heater element is associated with each nozzle bore for asymmetrically heating the ink in the nozzle bore. A secondary heater element is provided upstream of the primary heater element and formed in the insulating layer to preheat ink just prior to entry of the ink into the nozzle bores.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of reproducing an image in which an original image is scanned to produce a digital representation of the original image as a plurality of original pixels regularly located within the original image and each having a grey level value. Replacement pixels randomly located within boundaries of the original image are generated. The grey level values of the original pixels are interpolated and an interpolated grey level value is assigned to each of the replacement pixels. A reproduction of the original image is generated using only the replacement pixels and their assigned interpolated grey level values.